The Legend of Spyro: Violet Dusk
by TheLegendofSpyro18
Summary: The time has come, the end of the World. Spyro and Cynder have sacrificed much to get here, but as the planet cracks and crumbles around them, their victory over Malefor seems shallow. Inspired, Spyro comes to realise what needs to be done to save the world, and what it's going to cost him. Following up from Dawn of the Dragon, explore a dark and testing journey for our heroes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey all this will be my first venture into writing on this site, as well as creative writing in this selected style. It's not something I often do, but I'm currently looking into more creative and productive outlets with my spare time, and this seems a good as place as any to start. I hope you all enjoy, and if you can, please provide some feedback, I hope for this to enhance my writing capabilities, as well as ability to convey a captivating story! Don't be afraid to be critical, any feedback is good feedback.**

 **I hop you all enjoy the story, if so, I'll make writing the whole thing out a priority!**

 **p.s I do not own any characters originating from the Legend of Spyro games.**

The Legend of Spyro: Violet Dusk

Chapter 1: The End of the World

Violent cracks and the sporadic movement of stone filled the air with noise, tectonic movements shifting and breaking the crust of the world into tethers around them. Magma rose and spurt from every direction, forcing its way from the core of the earth outward, like a wound desperately unable to keep its lifeblood from escaping. The magma filled the gaps between the multiplying cracks like the rising waters of a flooding stream between stones. Far above, outward towards the sky which now seemed an impossible distance away, was the rim of the volcano from which entry had occurred, a mere speck in the distance of an impossible amount of moving detail within the shifting earth. The night's sky, nearly unrecognisable, was thick with ash beyond the shifting rim, and the violent tempest of an unnatural storm churned and mixed with the magma escaping from within the earth. However, being gifted with the keen eyes that he was, he could see something just within the eye of the storm, a single light shining through, one bright star from the clear sky that lay just beyond the churning chaos beneath.

Below, violet streams of energy shot forth from a massive crystalline structure, cutting through everything in their path with a darkeningly harmonious hum. It emitted a powerful force outward, pushing the crumbling decay of the earth's structure into oblivion, removing any lingering suggestion that the world may still be salvageable from the brink it currently sat at. The structure itself was massive, the size of a mountain, and was clearly of supernatural forces, from what the two of them had witnessed just moments prior. What it's purpose was however, was unknown to either of them; was it something of the ancestors? Had it always been here, at the core of the world? From all that could be gathered in either way, this was the massive purple heart of the dying planet. Whether this purple energy now pouring forth from this heart was the work of the dark entity that now resided within, or the final response of a world damaged beyond repair was unknown, but in either case, it didn't really matter.

This was the end, and despite the violent shaking of the earth around him, an apocalypse sparing nothing, within this central core of the Earth, he finally felt some measure of peace rising within himself. His life had been tainted by the tremendous beast that had been vanquished only just moments prior. Draconic spiritual entities had arisen from within the heart and dragged the wicked and cruel beast by what seemed to be his mere existence, into the core. Wherever he was now, his body and soul were removed from this plane of existence, and had been consumed by the planet's core.

This beast, which he had tried to prevent from causing any more harm to the world and those within it, could no longer do anything to spread darkness across the land. This came as a relief to him, to know that the quest he had been set upon, his destiny, had finally come to pass. This would surely be an even greater relief to the dragoness beside him, who'd spent nearly her entire life poisoned by his dark influence, made a tool to his bidding. A breath of spiritual serenity came across them both, if only for a fractional moment. The tyrant that had seeped his dark talons into their lives was finally no longer, though the cost of such a feat had been great.

The purple dragon motioned to move after his short moment of contemplation on the state of the world around him. Accompanied by his jet-black dragoness companion, they glided down to the heart of the world on exhausted wings that struggled to hold them up any longer. The purple dragon's appearance had once been of pure royal purple scales, a golden underbelly that matched his horns, and golden spines with orange membranes that stretched from his head to tail spike, matching the composition of his wings. The dragoness on the other hand, was of jet-black scales, having a red underbelly, and a crown of silver horns around her head that matched the sharp blades adorned by her tail and wing thumbs. Now however, the pair were pale reflections of themselves, being spattered with bruises and lacerations, with layered coats of mixed ash and earth marring their once attractive appearances. The final battle with the beast had been hard fought, both physically and spiritually.

Landing on the giant crystal, the two were surprised to discover the gem to be cool to the touch, though neither of them spoke of it. This was strange, the apparent immunity to the heat that raged from flowing magma around them, and the destructive violet energy that coursed outward from within, though the state of things pressed these observations to that back of their minds.

First, the Dragoness spoke;

"Spyro…." she said in a defeated tone "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry".

"Don't be, its over now" he responded calmly, accepting that the great conflict of his life, and the world, was finally done with.

"So, this is it?" she asked, unable to hide her concerned tone at the apparent fate of things.

This question cut Spyro deeply, how was he supposed to respond to such a statement? How could he tell the dragoness he had secretly come to admire over the past few years that this is where they would both perish? The culmination of a long journey they both shared together, and sacrificed together, ending in a bitter finale. Spyro shut his eyes harshly, the stain of this thought marring the usual smile he adorned into a painful frown.

This set off a panic deep within Spyro, realising the sheer magnitude of the situation. He had had lost, and the Dark Master, the evil entity whom they had finally defeated amongst all odds, had won anyways. Was there even victory to be considered here? They would now suffer the fate of the dying world, damaged by the evil beast in a final act of malice. This panic and dread was only enhanced upon his last thought, 'dying world'. This wouldn't just be their fate, but that of everyone in the world. Spyro closed his eyes shut hard, and images of his brother, his parents, the guardian mentors that had shaped him into the hero he had become, and allies amongst various races and cultures shot across his mind. None of these people would make it, despite their success in defeating the dark master, the outcome would be the same crushing result.

The weight of this failure overwhelmed Spyro, and even with his eyes shut, the bitter reality of what had transpired caused tears to form in the corners of his eyes. He looked deep within for an answer, a solution to what could be done; "there must be something that I can do, there has to be, please!" he thought to himself. Emotions began to overwhelm the young dragon, fear, sadness, pity, nostalgia, anger, melancholy, though he still dove deeper, hopeful to find the answer he needed.

His thoughts held no answers.

But there was something else there, strangely enough, a whisper, what is that? It began to form into a voice.

This voice was not of his own, but of another, and it echoed within his head. And as Spyro focused on it, the message of this voice spoke louder and more clearly than the swarm of emotions coursing through the purple dragon. Unbeknownst to him, an ethereal likeness of whom this voice belonged to formed around him, with the dragoness standing closely nearby shocked at whom it was. Spyro could barely believe it as the voice of the deceased Ignitus, a dragon whom had given and sacrificed everything for him, passed wisdom to him;

"…. Spyro, when a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world. His spirit lives on, binding itself with nature, offering hope for the future…."

As the voice of Ignitus faded away within his head, so too did his spiritual form, lifting off the ground into the space above the crystal, and soaring off upward to the rim of the volcano.

The swelling tempest of emotions within the purple dragon was now quelled. He knew now what he needed to do, it was the same as what he was always knew it would be, save the world. He was nature's response to all of this, given great power to balance things, and if that tyrannical beast could bring destruction and chaos to the world, couldn't he bring the opposite? "No" Spyro thought "I know I can". Though deep within, he knew this would come at the expense of himself.

Again, seeing the faces of all of those he cared about and struggled with flash through his mind, and finally opening his eyes to look upon the black dragoness whom he had become most fond of, he knew he would gladly pay that price.

"I know what I need to do" he spoke confidently, stepping forward towards the centre of the crystal.

He took pause though, realising what he was about to do might kill his companion. While his affections for her were great, he didn't expect them returned. She had been unwillingly magically chained to him by the dark master for most of their adventure, and often spoke keenly of separating their bond. And while this attachment had initially been viewed as a detriment, he couldn't help but feel it had brought them closer together, and form both a stronger team, as well as relationship. This proximity only made Spyro's affection for her grow more as well. To see someone who had been a slave to a dark force for so long have the courage to stand up and fight it head on, is what he admired about her most, though he'd never had the chance to say it. He could never ask her to stay with him here in his final moments, as much as he wanted to. And as afraid as he was to be alone, keeping her safe would bring him peace, to know the one he loved would live.

"Just get out of here Cynder" he spoke again, hiding his both his fear and dread of the request

"Spyro, No! You Don't have to do anything, let's just go!"

"Where Cynder? There will be nothing left, the world is breaking apart…. but I think I can stop it, I think I'm meant to"

Cynder and Spyro stared at each other for what seemed like minutes. He couldn't believe it, this dragoness, at the end of everything, was trying to save him. It brought a great sense of alleviation to his heart that she was trying to save him as much as he was her. Was this compassion? Affection? Something more? It didn't matter, it was something that sparked a great energy within him that began to build.

Similarly, Cynder couldn't believe that after everything that had happened, everything that Spyro had sacrificed and given to bring peace and defeat the dark master, that he was willing to give himself at the end of it all. His self-sacrifice and caring for others was something that she had come to admire over their adventure. While at first, she thought he might have been trying to play the hero, and his sense of duty and caring both for her and others was an extension of that projected persona. However, in the dark times that had come, he never faltered in his ideals or compassion for others, and she had come to realise that this was no falsehood, this truly was the real Spyro. This enamour only grew as the two had come to rely on each other, and ironically through a magical chain that had brought her closer to him and freed her from her mistrusts of others. Thinking back at how he had saved her from enslavement to the dark master, from Gaul, and from countless other dangers, she realised how much he had cared for her, and how deep down, she now felt the same.

It broke her heart to realise he was willing to die for her to save her one last time. No, she wouldn't leave him at the end of all of this, she wouldn't leave him to die by himself, it's not right. If she couldn't save him, then she could at least be with him to the end, there's nowhere else she'd rather be.

"Then I'm with you" she finally spoke.

After being freed from the dark master's control, Cynder had always made her own decisions, she only did what she truly wanted to do and nothing less. Spyro, realising that not only was she trying to save him, but that she truly cared enough to stay with him even into death, felt serenity in his fate, knowing he wouldn't go it alone. The spark of energy that had been lit within Spyro ignited and grew exponentially.

As the energy expanded, he extended his wings majestically as his body lifted off the cool crystal surface, and an illustrious purple glow began emanating from his body. Spyro mentally braced himself for what he was about to do. He looked up intently at the rim of the volcano above, and the sky beyond. That single star still shined brightly through the darkness of the world above. "That's what I'll bind with, that's what I'll try to be", Spyro thought, "hope".

Just then however, Cynder Spoke to him a final time. "I Love You"

This final message came to the purple dragon's ears as nearly a whisper, and although uncertain if it had been a figment of his imagination, it was the last push he needed.

The energy that had been building within Spyro, the purple dragon's true element of convexity, a force to balance the darkness of the world with light, expanded to near immeasurable quantity. The energy exploded out of his body in a cascade of tremendous purple light in all directions. Unlike the violet energy that had been emitted from the earth's core, this was different, a spiritual energy that was full of life instead of destruction, and the sheer amount of it was overwhelming.

Energy fired out of the purple dragon's body in waves, passing through solid rock, and travelling as fast as light itself. It pushed valiantly outward, reaching the surface of the planet coating everything in a silky purple hue, and shot furthermore into the stratosphere beyond. Unexpectedly, the destructive energy ejected from the core of the planet began to calm and redirected itself toward Spyro. The energy cast itself out at a single point, connecting with the young dragon's tail. It began coursing through him as it was siphoned into his own spiritual lifeforce, spreading to every corner of his body. He took this excess energy and forced it outwards, thanking the ancestors as he did so.

Spyro focused on everything he wanted to save, the planet, his family and friends, the innocent peoples of the world, all of those who had suffered and struggled through the terrible things the dark master had done, and Cynder, especially Cynder. Spyro forced even more energy out of his body, sending endless waves of energy out in every direction. The purple energy began to form around the planet, grasping the fleeting remains of the planet which had nearly cracked itself into oblivion. It formed itself into a shield and began to pull these parts back closer together, and down towards to remaining landmass of the world. He focused on pulling these points all towards himself, though if he could truly be called himself anymore was unsure. He no longer felt the sensation of being in his physical body, and instead felt that he had become something of convexity itself, something of energy, and he felt he was part of the massive amount of energy he had cast out. Though strangely, there was also another energy there, something else.

Spyro could see and feel everything the energy touched. He felt the dislodged parts of the planet he was pulling back together, and he protected and pulled back together the swamps where he had grown up in. He saw and shielded a cave where his brother, parents and dragon mentors had taken refuge in, and meanwhile, fended the citizens of Warfang from falling buildings and debris. He warded the valley of Avalar in all its beauty and made it whole again. And he defended Cynder, unconscious Cynder, who lay just below his glowing body of energy.

Cynder had passed out from the sensory overload that came from being so close to the immense energy coming from the purple dragon. Spyro knew that despite the near limitless energy he now commanded, he couldn't do this forever, and upon seeing that he had managed to preserve the dragoness he had come to love, he knew there still might be a chance to save her in the end.

Forcing even more energy out, Spyro grasped the planet with his energy, and pulled hard, sending parts of the planet on a course back to their original resting place. Even without further intervention, the sheer amount of residual energy he covered the world in would be enough to guide his intentions to the safety of their original resting places. The crystal core itself had also stopped emitting energy, and seemed to have been calmed, with its once destructive energy having been contained and channelled through Spyro himself.

Seeing all of this come to fruition, a sense of contentment swept through the purple dragon, that he had saved the planet and all those on it. He had no regrets with his role as purple dragon and the part he played in the grand scheme of things, it brought him honour to have saved so many. Slowly, Spyro began to lose his vision on the places and peoples that his spiritual violet energy touched and began to regain minute feeling of being back in his body. It was with this feeling that he realized his time was beginning to end, and that his life and energy was nearly spent. "No" he spoke in a booming echoing voice, though one that was becoming increasingly frail.

"not yet, I have one last thing I need to do".

Spyro grasped Cynder with some of the remaining energy he still possessed, and created a shield around her, like what he had done to bring the planet back together. Focusing now solely on this one objective as opposed to the entire planet should have been easy, but as Spyro felt more of his energy and life seeping uncontrollably out of him, the task became increasingly laboured and difficult. He lifted Cynder off the ground and used his will to send the violet energy protecting her upwards to the volcano rim entry above. The difficulty was immense, and as she neared the top, he worried he may drop her, as his energy flickered and laboured under stress. Finally, seeing the energy pass through the rim, and out of the earth's crust, Spyro sent the energy rocketing off in an unknown direction, carrying Cynder off to safety.

"I'm sorry Cynder, I won't be there to see it all with you, I hope you can forgive me. I love you…. Goodbye" he spoke to himself

Collapsing back to the ground, the energy that had once poured forth from the purple dragon had completely ceased, and what remained was simply holding his lifeforce together. What he had done had taken everything he had, and it showed. What was once a majestic sight to behold, the appearance of the dragon had transformed into one devoid of colour and sheen, becoming nearly stone-like. Subtle movements in the dragon's muscles caused his scales to crack and break into dust, and he could hear his laboured breathing squeaking and slowing as the moments passed. Despite the irreversible condition his body was in though, Spyro felt no pain, and even bore a quaint smile across his brow, the reward of a journey hard fought and won. His life had been short, and if there were any regrets, it was that he wouldn't get to see Cynder, his family or friends again, or live in the peace he had fought so hard to bring to life. He hoped that by some chance, he would get to see them again, and that by some measure of his role in all of this, would be granted this wish for a destiny completed.

Spyro looked up into the Sky one last time through the volcano rim in the distance, craning his neck upward slowly. The mere movement of his head caused more scales to crack and shatter, and upon tuning his head into position, he realised there would be no more moving after this.

The maelstrom of darkness that had once stood menacingly overhead had dissipated, and in its place, Spyro could see the single star, shining even brighter. Many other stars could now be seen accompanying it, and off to the side, the soft light of dawn was beginning to crawl over the horizon. Within each flickering light he could see a reflection of a family member, a friend, a guardian. This made Spyro realise that while he wouldn't get to see them, the same would be true for them never seeing him.

It was then a clever idea came to his mind, as he felt the tingling of the remaining energy within his body stir. This was an idea inspired by Ignitus parting wisdom not long before, and his own idea of binding with hope. "Thank you Ignitus" Spyro thought to himself, "This will be, so they always know where to find me".

With that final thought, the great purple dragon mustered all the remaining energy he could, and some he didn't even know he had, and focused it onto a single point in his core. Taking one last deep breath that caused much of his increasingly-hardening body to crack, Spyro fired the energy in a tremendously powerful beam outward and into the sky, splitting the clouds.

The beam fired forth from the volcano rim, shattering the structure of the volcano itself and causing it to collapse into the surrounding burned lands, obliterating a malevolent vestige of the Dark Master that would no longer plague the races of the world. The beam continued outward into space, and eventually, upon nearing the bright star and constellations that Spyro had seen from below, cast itself out over a colossal distance. The energy spread to fill the spaces between stars with brilliant hues of orange, gold and purple, his colours. The resulting shape of the beam formed into the visage of a mighty dragon, casting its wings out in a protective stance. The constellation would be something that could be seen across the land, and in the nights sky, would always be something for his friends and family to look to see him.

Below, deep in the core of the earth, now shrouded in darkness, Spyro was finally complete. His scales, wings, claws, and even his eyes had turned completely grey, and had hardened stiff as stone. His final stance of looking hopefully upwards towards the sky with a smile on his face was immortalized, as his last majestic stance petrified him into as good a statue as any hero could hope to be honoured with.

Elsewhere, an ancient being staggered worriedly within the stone halls of a timeless library. The dragon known as the chronicler looked intently over the magical book recording Spyro's life. "None of this makes any sense" he spoke in an old, crooked voice. Despite his millennia of serving as recorder of dragon history for the realms, nothing like this had ever happened. The book of Spyro's life had just written pages that would clearly indicate his death, as his energy was expended, and his body turned to stone. Frantically, the chronicler waved another book over to the lectern in front of him and began rapidly flipping through the pages. "I don't understand, it's like…. it's like he's not anywhere" he spoke worriedly. "Of all the contradictions, this is must puzzling" he began to trail off, hypothesizing on what the reason may be.

Despite their intended purposes, these two books were each contradicting the other. While the first was made to record the life of Spyro, with writing that magically appeared within as Spyro lived, it just implied that he had perished. However, most of the pages in the book were still blank, indicating that there was plenty life yet to live, yet all writing appearing within ceased completely.

The other book, made to magically record the names of dragons when they pass from the world however, didn't show Spyro's name anywhere, which would indicate that he was alive.

"I simply don't understand where he may be" The chronicler continued to think. "But perhaps, that is for younger minds to solve. I believe it is my time to pass on the torch, and while my era has passed, I am uncertain that is the case of Spyro, such a bitter ending for a hero looms too heavily in my heart to accept…". As the chronicler continued his chain of thought as to where the hero might have gone, the ancient dragon began to sense a presence approaching from the halls that entered the massive library he oversaw. "Ah" he spoke, "Be welcome friend. I have long been expecting you…"

Elsewhere, a young dragoness lying unconscious on the ground begins to struggle with dark nightmares plaguing her mind.


	2. Chapter 2: The New World

**A/N Hey all again, sorry for the wait, but here it is, Chapter two! I hope that you're all enjoying the beginning of the story so far, I think a vision as to what this story is going to be about should start to form. Just wanted to also say thanks to IllusionMaster17 for the review, its much appreciated, and I hope more of you leave me a review in the future! I like hearing from you all, and it helps to inform and improve my writing style.**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

Chapter 2: The New World

Warm streams of air brushed and tickled at the tender scales on the dragoness' face. As she glided through the gentle spring breeze, she let the rising thermals fill her wings, warming her body and lifting her spirits. The ascending force of gentle updrafts took control, and guided her sleek form soaring into the clouds. Amongst the soft environment so far above the world below, the sun danced across her, lighting her polished scales in a myriad of beautiful glowing colors. Far under her was the valley of Avalar, accompanied by the calming chirping of birds and the sound of fresh tree leaves dancing in the wind. Everything was awash with life, from the soft yellowish flowing clouds around her, to the vibrant green forests and crystal blue streams below.

She hovered in place for a moment, scanning all there was to see. The beautiful white-capped mountain ranges stood as monuments in the distance, with waterfalls pouring forth from their hearts into the valley below. A cheetah village could be seen tucked away in the corner of the valley, teeming with life and the striding movements of its proud inhabitants. Above, the sky was illuminated in a golden blue, and the two nearby celestial bodies stood as gentle giants watching over all the land. Had the world always been so beautiful? Had all of this always been here? With the Dark Master now gone, it was as if a great weight had been removed from Cynder's life, and a haze lifted from her eyes. The time of fear and struggle had its day, and now, living and the enjoyment of life came to the forefront. The day could not have been more perfect, nor the world more beautiful. It was almost overwhelming, and Cynder was unsure if she had ever truly experienced something like this in her entire life.

A sharp gust of wind to Cynder's right suddenly broke the rhythm of her balanced hovering and brought her out of her trance. Beside her, a dragon had arrived, dressed in stunning purple scales, and whom wore a contagious grin from horn to horn. Cynder's new perspective on the world extended to this brave companion she had, and she really began to take in his appearance for the first time. His majestic scales outlined his toned muscles and strong shoulders. His golden horns and chest caught nearly all the light that shined across them, granting him a nearly glowing-appearance. Powerful wings easily helped him to hover in place, yet he seemed to move them with almost no effort, showing but an ounce of the strength he contained within. His eyes were a deep violet, and were a portal into the gentle and caring, but also powerful and determined soul that lay within. Purple coloration aside, he was very attractive for his age, and his now developing muscular physique nearly made Cynder blush.

"Beautiful, isn't it Cynder?" he spoke in a relaxed tone

Cynder nodded, smiling keenly back at the dragon.

"Woah is that a smile? I don't think I've seen one of those on you before, it's a good look" he said in a playfully sarcastic tone, but one with endearment.

This only made Cynder's grin grow further, and a playful feeling flourished within her heart.

"Careful there Spyro, don't be having too much fun with me, you know I play rough" She replied in an equally sarcastic tone.

"Speaking of which….Tag! your it!" she spat out in a gleeful voice between spurts of giggling.

Spyro hovered stunned as Cynder tagged him across the cheek gently with her tail blade. She proceeded to fall backwards through the sky, gracefully spinning and swerving through clouds as she descended to the world below. Taken back by the newfound life within the dragoness, Spyro hesitated for a moment, then gestured an even greater smile across his face before giving pursuit.

Cynder laughed and rolled through the air as she could hear the purple pursuer behind her giving chase.

"You'll never catch me like that Spyro, you've got to do better than that if you're going to get on my level" she said playfully. Cynder wondered if this was even herself speaking. She had never felt comfortable speaking like this, or this light hearted before. Perhaps, she thought, this is finally the person she was meant to be. She was rising to the surface, no longer bound down by darkness.

"Not fair! He replied, "you've got your wind element, flying is like breathing for you!" he spoke in a chuckling tone.

Cynder quickly yanked right through a cloud, then sharply upwards, effortlessly avoiding a coy swipe from the purple dragon trying to tag her back.

"And what's you're excuse, purple dragon, aren't you supposed to be able to master all elements, o mighty savior?" she replied with a knowing wink.

"Huh, I supposed you're right" Spyro replied. "I never thought about that before, I wonder if I can master elements like your wind or shadow ones". He then stopped abruptly, hovering again in the clouds and raising a paw to his chin in contemplation. Cynder peered back over her shoulder, seeing now that her purple companion was no longer in pursuit. Instead, he now floated in place, not far above a tall tree rising from the Avalar Valley below. Across his face he bore a concerned look and a puzzled demeanor. This drew Cynder's attention, and she quickly corkscrewed around in an impressive flight maneuver, and softly glided over to her companion.

"Everything okay Spyro? She asked in a concerned tone after arriving, hovering directly in front of him.

"Yeah, it's just…. you got me thinking about the elements, I wonder if there's more out there we don't know about, or maybe ones I have, but just never tapped into before".

This made Cynder only smile more. Here was this purple dragon, finally free of his destiny, and he was still always looking to the horizon. She knew deep down the reason though; it was never purely to gain more power, but to gain abilities that would let him protect others. Even after everything that had come to pass, he remained true to who he was, and Cynder couldn't help but smile at this.

"sounds like a worry for another day" she spoke, gently tapping Spyro's shoulder with her front paw.

"come on, lets enjoy this while it lasts"

Then, Spyro's grin dropped completely and his face rearranged its features into a very serious expression, startling Cynder.

"I think there is one element I know of, I have it deep down…." He spoke in an ominous tone, staring seriously into Cynder's emerald green eyes.

"What do you mean Spyro, what element? She replied in a very confused voice

"It's a very powerful element" he replied intently. "The Guardians told me to be careful when using it, to only rely on it when completely necessary…."

This only confused Cynder more. What element? Why hadn't she heard of it before, why not use it against the dark master, was it that powerful? The thoughts came to her rapidly and only continued to peak her curiosity.

"It's the element of…. Surprise!" he yelled out in a joyous tone, and before Cynder could react, she found that she had been tagged across the hip by Spyro's tail.

Now a mess of roaring laughter, the two nearly fell out of the sky from the clever prank Spyro had just pulled, not all that unlike a yellow dragonfly they both knew. It was several minutes before they could speak to each other properly without bursting out into fits of laughter.

"I can't believe that worked!" Spyro finally said, still gasping and chuckling as he did so.

"I can't believe I fell for that! Cynder replied, still equally as debilitated from their contagious laughter.

Finally catching her breath, Cynder took a moment again to breathe in the fresh air and absorb the beautiful scenery all around her. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the sensation of the wind blow across her body. Her senses instantly filled with the pleasures of the environment around her.

"What a perfect day today is, hey Spyro?" she spoke quietly

"Yeah…." He replied

"It's too bad I won't be around to see it"

"What?" Cynder thought to herself, taken back by both the randomness of the statement, as well as the dark-tone it was spoken in.

Cynder opened her eyes to see that the world around her had been completely transformed, striking a horror deep into her heart. The sky had been mutated into a deep crimson red, and the valley of Avalar below into a smoking black landscape, trickling with liquid shadows and vicious bestial eyes that glared at her from the darkness. The distant mountains lay in ruin, and the warmth of the sun and wind had disappeared, replaced with a biting cold chill. Cynder craned her neck jarringly to look at Spyro, a great fear showing across her eyes at the twisted environment that now surrounded her. It only unsettled her more to see the purple hero was no longer smiling, and now looked like a pale, dying reflection of who he once was. His scales were a faded white, his left head horn broken half way up, and his wings were riddled with holes, Cynder could barely recognize him.

"Cynder…" He spoke in a deadpan voice, nearly lifeless.

"I'm afraid, please don't leave me, I don't want to be alone…. I…I…. I was alone, where did you go, why did you leave me?" he choked out, staring at Cynder with eyes that held a great sadness.

Confused and terrified at what was going on around her, Cynder gestured to move towards her companion. It brought her immense sadness to see the condition he was in. Who had done this to him, why would anyone do this to such a pure soul?

"I'm right here Spyro, you're not alone, you're never alone" she spoke in a quiet, trembling tone, choking back tears that were beginning to form in her eyes. "I..I.. I can help you Spyro, please, let's get out of here, we need to get you help"

Spyro began hovering towards her, in a labored and struggling fashion. His wings were barely moving, and his eyes struggling to stay open, it was like he wasn't even fully there anymore. Cynder reached out her paws, intending to grasp her purple friend, and comfort him. But as the dragon drifted closer, his entire body began to violently crack and splinter. As Cynder contacted his right paw, Spyro's entire being collapsed and dissolved into ash, blowing away in the wind, leaving her there alone.

"NO!" she screamed in a terrified screech.

"no please this can't be happening, no please Spyro" she continued, sobbing uncontrollably. "Please don't let it be like this, let me save you for once". As Cynder continued to sob in her unsolicited dread, she could see the darkness of the world closing in around her.

"No…. what, no please no!"

"No!"

With the final scream still echoing within her head, Cynder jolted straight up, disturbing the thin layer of ash that had settled nearby as she slept. Still panicking from the vivid dream fresh in her memory, Cynder rapidly scanned the nearby environment with an adrenaline-filled haste. Her heart was beating hard against her chest, and her mind grasped at spiraling thoughts as she tried to make sense of things. Where was she, what just happened? Why had the world transformed, why wasn't it like this now?

However, as Cynder came to realize that all that had transpired was a figment of her imagination, the bleeding of the dream into reality began to fade, calming her as it did. Not taking in, nor maintaining much of what she saw around her, Cynder took a moment to close her eyes and exhale a deep breath of relief, understanding that she was in no immediate danger. "That was terrifying…" Cynder thought, still shaken from the dream, and struggling to understand her current predicament. "And it felt so real…. I thought I was a goner for sure…. but it couldn't have been, I mean we were…". Cynder's train of thought ceased completely, and instead, images of her moments in the planet's core with Spyro began arranging in her head. They had been together, both in the end, and Cynder recalled a feeling of peace at choosing to stay by the side of the purple dragon. The last thing she could recall before her moments now was an all-consuming violet light, and a spiritual force passing through her, overwhelming everything. This caused emotions to arise again in the black dragoness as a question came into her head; "am I dead?!"

However, before the panic could peak again within her, Cynder twitched her body, and a sensation of pain washed over her. This was not foreign to the dragoness, but rather familiar, and as she continued regaining her senses, she recognized them as the injuries sustained from the final conflict. "Nope, not dead" she thought, "If I was dead, I definitely wouldn't be feeling anything like this". This thought was nearly enough to bring a slight chuckle from Cynder, if it wasn't for the soreness she now felt from head to tail.

Wait, but if she hadn't died, that means the planet must still be intact, that must mean that Spyro had done it, he had saved everyone! The mere thought of this realization crushed any sensation of pain that Cynder felt in her body. Her eyes shot wide open as a great catharsis began to coarse through her soul, springing her to her paws. "You did it Spyro! You did it!" she cried aloud in a voice full of elation, spinning around on the spot with enthusiasm. "I can't believe it, you saved the planet, you saved everyone!" And we never have to see Mal…"

It was then Cynder realized she was alone. Completely alone.

Now fully awake, it was the first time she was able to absorb the details of her surroundings. Cynder stood in a patch of luscious green grass, coated with fading hints of a misty purple energy. This was an alienated environment from everything that lay outside of a 6-horn radius from where she stood however. As far as her eyes could see, the land was covered in a layer of ashy dust, marring the entire landscape to appear as a bleak, lifeless environment. In the distance she could see a colossal mess of rocks and earth, spewed outward across the horizon from some sort of tremendous force that had exploded below. Cynder squinted and could see pieces of structure midden within the rocky debris. She recognized the stonework and style of some pieces that remained intact. They belonged to the guardian's temple, a place she had once stayed in with Spyro, and a place the two had confronted the Dark Master for the final time. But wasn't the temple destroyed as it plummeted down into the destroyer's volcano? This couldn't be the same place, surely not, there was no volcano to be seen anywhere, and the burnt lands that surrounded it, where were they? But as Cynder continued to observe the environment around her both nearby and far away, familiar lodestones and landmarks cued her in to the fact that this was indeed the same place. A familiar tree-line in distance, an ash-tainted stream that ran nearby, some recognizable rock outcrops, all helped to give an idea as to where she currently was. Cynder was nearly 60 kilometers from the ruins of what must have once been the volcano, and further still from the core of the planet.

"How did I get here?", her voice was full of sadness as she spoke the words "…and where is S…S..Spyro" she continued as a tear-filled sadness rolled over her heart.

The purple dragon was nowhere to be seen, and this unsettled her greatly. He must be here, he has to be! I mean, I'm here, and we're both chained toge…..No, no that's right, the chain that bound them together had disintegrated after the Dark master's defeat.

"But how did I get here? I couldn't have moved on my own, he must have moved me, I….."

It was then that Cynder noticed something small growing near her paws. A dragon lily had grown out of the ground before her, it was a fragile and gentle thing that swayed slightly from her nearby movements. How could such a delicate thing have survived the end of the world and the explosion that destroyed the volcano? Better yet, how did I? It was then that Cynder began to piece together everything that lay all around her.

This tiny flower, herself, and this single circle of grass was all that remained untouched in the scarred landscape all around her. As she swayed her paws in realization, she could feel the tingling sensation of slowly dissipating spiritual energy touch her talons. Cynder squeezed her eyes hard, barely holding back swelling tears, and could see the purple dragon smiling knowingly at her before erupting with purple energy. "You..you didn't" her voice trembled. But as Cynder opened her eyes, the reality that Spyro had somehow saved her one last time was only confirmed as she stared down at the frail flower. It was a beautiful thing that had watchfully sat by her head as she slept. It was a growing speck of hope that life would return to the destroyed landscape surrounding it. But most importantly of all, it was purple.

Cynder collapsed to the ground on her haunches, openly sobbing as tears poured down her snout like a stream. Cynder had come to know sadness, guilt and regret closely ever since she had been transformed back into herself from the Terror of the Skies. This however, was something of a whole different magnitude. Disappointment, denial, and anguish wracked her very being. She felt that she had failed Spyro in his final moments; he had saved her, the selfless dragon had done it one last time, but she couldn't say the same. As their journey had evolved, she had hoped to repay the dragon for all that he had done for her. This wasn't a sense of duty or honour that had driven Cynder, but a sense of caring and compassion that had only just begun to blossom. She had come to care deeply for the dragon, and now she felt the chance to prove that would never come. She felt a complete and utter failure.

As she continued crying an endless stream of tears, the worst part of it all came to the surface. Cynder felt alone, more than she ever had in her entire life. The dragon that had come to understand who she truly was above all else was gone, no one could ever understand her as much as he did. Images of her nightmare flashed through her mind, only enhancing this grief as she began to think about what had happened to the purple hero. "I…. I was alone, where did you go, why did you leave?" These words from Spyro in her dreams plagued Cynder, and the image of him disintegrating into ash haunted her.

"No Spyro, no, why did you do this? Why me? Why did you never think about yourself" Cynder barely managed to cough out between fits of crying. "Please ancestors, please don't tell me this is how it was all supposed to end for him. Please don't tell me he was alone and afraid". She had committed to being there, in the end, and the fact she hadn't been after all was devastating.

Hard as she tried, Cynder couldn't shake the sight of Spyro becoming ash in her dreams. It drove the sense of failure deep within her and tainted her thoughts. They would never be together again, she would never be able to tell him how she felt, and they would never have the time to develop the relationship they both deserved at the end of all their struggles. As Cynder felt that she could no longer cry, she collapsed onto the ground on her side, rolling on her back, drained, beaten and crushed by the world.

As Cynder's heartbreak reached its peak, she noticed the slowly darkening sky brought on by the setting of the evening sun in the sky. The stars were bright out already, shining intently on the new world, brought back from annihilation. It was beautiful, and shined a promise of new days to come, but this was lost on Cynder. However, something about the sky was off. Cynder noticed there was something different, a large constellation that hadn't been there before. As she focused her eyes on it she noticed….it was a dragon! And as the setting sun disappeared behind the horizon, the constellations beautiful colours of purple, gold and orange came on full display. Cynder was shocked for a moment from her grief at the sight, it was Spyro, he was right there, in the night's sky! Was this the ancestors doing? Was this Spyro's reward at the end of his life? Cynder wondered openly about why and how the constellation had appeared, but it all just brought her back down to the reality of the situation.

Spyro was gone, and she was not. He had saved her, and here she was, unable to ever do the same for him. Who was there to save the savior at the end? The failure marred her heart, but deep within her, something moved. At her very core was a small spark, something that hadn't been there before, not until she had gazed upon the celestial likeness of her purple companion. "But what if he is still out there, somehow?", the thought creeped gently into Cynder's mind as she lay in the grass, eyes fixated on the heavens above. The thought seemed highly unlikely to her, a fool's hope. If he could have survived his final burst of energy, he would be here with her, she was sure of it. "I guess that's all this had ever been though, from the very beginning, a fool's hope" she thought again. "But look how far that got us" she spoke aloud to the crisp evening air. Flashes of an impossible journey starting from the well of souls, to the dark war that had spread across the land, and to the core of the planet itself filled her memories.

This reminiscing of the pair's journey over the last few weeks stirred memories within her head, and, words that Ignitus had once spoken to Spyro. " _Your powers go far beyond what you might imagine"._ The memory of Ignitus' words of guidance struck a chord with Cynder, and the spark within her heart began to grow into a small sense of hope. "I suppose" she spoke aloud, "I suppose if anyone could have survived, it would have been him".

The idea that he may be alive stuck within Cynder, and as much as thoughts bringing her down to reality fought against it, it persisted. Was she just in denial? Or was this something else? Cynder was conflicted with herself and didn't know for sure. What she did know though, was that she couldn't bear the thought of being alone, or her sense of failure for the rest of her life. She had to at least try right? Spyro never gave up, not while there was a glimmer of hope, not while there was something to fight for.

"There's always something to fight for", She spoke her own words of advice aloud, letting them really sink in.

She couldn't be certain that he was alive, and all her instincts spoke against it, telling her to accept her dread. But Cynder knew she couldn't just accept her failure and move on, she had to fight against it, she had to fight for the possibility of hope. She had to find what had happened to Spyro, to know for certain what his final moments had been, her heart wouldn't rest easy until then.

It was with this final inner push that Cynder took the sense of failure that had grown rapidly in her heart, and utilized it as motivation, combining it with the spark of hope within her. If he was out there, then maybe she could finally save him, the way she had always wanted to. Cynder rose to her paws, a small but strong sense of motivation behind her. She would find out what happened to Spyro in his final moments, and if there was by some great miracle a chance he hadn't perished, be the savior he deserved.

"But where do I even start" she began to think. As she stood in contemplation, she realized it would be no simple task. She had been unconscious for an unknown amount of time. Who knows what has happened since the world exploded with violet energy. What was the new world like? More importantly, who is still around? It was a dark thought to be sure, but the cataclysmic event the Dark Master had set in motion would surely have had consequences on the world. "I can't be the only one that survived though, right? No, no, don't even think that Cynder". "If I can talk to others, then maybe I can piece together everything that happened, then I can go from there". It was as good idea as any, and realistically all that Cynder had to work with.

"Now, the question is where to go….".

Cynder's options were limited. She wasn't familiar with the world as it was, or even before its current restoration really. A drastic last-ditch measure had contained Spyro and herself in suspended animation for three years, and a lot had happened in that time. Worse still, she was sure that not all had forgotten her role as overlord for the Dark Master for a time. She wouldn't be welcomed everywhere, the cheetah hermit she met in the days preceding now made that abundantly clear; this brought a bitter snarl to Cynder's maw.

Amongst the analytic thoughts that raced inside her mind, was the sensation of pain, again becoming noticeable throughout her body. She was in quite a rough condition still, and while most of her wounds had either scabbed over or been cauterized with dirt and ash, some still openly bled. The pain itself didn't bother her, though Cynder realized that her body could only take so much punishment, and she was still drastically drained from the final conflict. She knew that she needed to treat her wounds if she was going to get anywhere on her quest, a journey she still felt apprehension toward. Then the solution came to her; the first step in a direction, maybe not the right direction, but a direction none the less.

"I know where to go" she spoke with driven intent.

With her words still flowing nearby through the wind, the black dragoness looked down and plucked the dragon lily from the ground. She took a moment to stare at it intently, realizing what it represented, before tucking it into a secure spot behind her silvery crown of head horns. She achingly beat her wings, taking off into the sky whilst blowing a cloud of ash into the air nearby. She struggled to stay up at first, and this exertion showed how damaged she really was. Even after climbing to a safe altitude, gliding brought waves of pain, and tattered parts of her wings made casual flying spastic and irregular. Would her body even make it that far? This was uncertain. Cynder was motivated though, and aimed her head solemnly in the direction she was certain she had to go: Warfang

Nearby, a figure from shadows watched intently from its rocky hiding spot, invisible to any eye against the nighttime ashen landscape. A simple smile formed across it's brow as it peered at the strained and exhausted dragoness become a smaller and smaller spec in the distance. With a quiet chuckle, and a last look at the dragoness disappearing into the distance, the figure turned away from the scene and faded into the thick fabric of the shadows.


	3. Chapter 3: Emergence

**A/N Hey o, chapter three incoming! Another chapter from a different group's perspective, we're getting closer to the real start of this story I promise! Just wanted to also say thanks to IllusionMaster17 for yet another fantastic review. I hope more of you can leave me a review in the future, or even a comment, im also on DeviantArt with the same name! It really helps me make the story better! Anyways, enough said, enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 3: Emergence

Screams and fearful cries echoed throughout the cavern, adding to the horrific noises of shattering rocks that permeated through violent seismic movements. What was once stable ground quickly transformed into deep fissures, erratically dividing spaces within the cave. Companions and family members, acquaintances and strangers alike fought against separation, and struggled to huddle together on safe ground that shrunk by the moment. The walls around them, once providing a sense of protection, now rained down bits of earth and small stalactites. Three large and powerful dragons stood braced in a corner of the subterranean hollow, spreading powerful wings to their limits. Various races crowded and struggled to cram underneath the fleshy membranes for protection, scarcely avoiding rocky debris falling all around them. In their fear, all the races stood united in their struggle for survival. Cheetah warriors sheltered moles and other small races, using quick reflexes to deflect dangerous incoming projectiles. Manwheresmalls used their elaborate knowledge of underground workings to determine where was safest to be, and gestured dragonflies, monitors and other creatures to follow suit. Even the Atlawa, a proud and isolated kind, used what strength they could to remove fallen debris that gathered around themselves and others.

"Im sorry, there's nothing I can do" Spoke the largest of the dragons, a mighty green giant with a booming voice. "My earth element…. I should be able to protect us. There is…. just too much going on. I can feel the earth ripping itself apart, nothing feels stable anymore, I may end up just making it worse". The dragon looked down at the cowering creatures beneath him with defeated eyes, and let a great sigh out, giving away his feelings of guilt and defeat over the situation.

Next to his right horn huddled a small family of dragonflies. The female of the group, seeing the despair of the valiant guardian, spoke to him in a calming tone. "It's okay, you have done your best, there's nothing more that could have been asked of you. We're so grateful to you…to all of you, for what you have done"; she gestured towards him and the other two dragons who wore strained looks across their faces. Increasing amounts of stone and dirt were beginning to pile on top of them, making their task of protection more difficult by the minute. Despite her words of confidence, the stern green dragon's face didn't shift, and the words seemed lost on his currently crushed demeanour. "Terrador, you could never have prevented this, you were never meant to. You know as well as I do…that responsibility lays with another". The green dragonfly spoke with a great sincerity in her voice, though she folded her hands across her heart, feeling a great worry for a son who's battle raged elsewhere.

"Thank you, Nina", Terrador replied, through a struggling voice, weighed down by rocks barring on top of him. "But It was my responsibility, my job to protect you all, my purpose as guardian". As Terrador's eyes scanned the room he could see light beginning to appear between cracked rocks, and a feeling of heat swarming into the cavern. "And I don't know how much longer I can do that….". Seeing the lack of hope growing within his family and companions, the youngest of the dragonflies spoke up, sporting an upbeat and sarcastic tone.

"Yeah come on, rocky, you know my brother and Cynder have this. Good 'old angry nasty and purple doesn't stand a chance, so don't sweat it". Sparxs could always make light of a situation and crack a joke, even when there was nothing to laugh at. It was what he did best, and what he was doing now, but inside he feared for their survival, and even more so for his purple brother. "I mean, he's saved all our hides a few times, what's one more for the fat purple bug?", Sparxs winked coyly at his parents.

"I'm inclined to agree, Terrador old friend", came a remark from the blue dragon to his left. "For once it seems, the annoying yellow gnat is correct. Young Spyro can do this, we cannot falter, the good chap has never let us down before!" Sparxs quickly grew a quaint smirk across his face, seeing what Cyril was doing. Despite seeing a good opportunity for some banter with the drake, he opted not to fire back, given the current nature of things. Adding in to the conversation was the other yellow dragon to the right, who spoke with an elastically quick tongue;

"And we cannot forget gentlemen, Ignitus went with them! With the combined efforts of the three dragons, their culminating efforts, powers, skills, traits and elements should be more than enough to vanquish, overwhelm and overcome the odds! We have done all we can, and our hopes, dreams and future now rest in the best hands they could be. I am certain, positive, convinced and sure that Spyro and Cynder and Ignitus can defeat Mal…"

An abrupt shockwave was felt throughout the cavern, a tremendous force that caused everyone to stagger. There wasn't much time left for the planet, and Terrador's natural connection to the earth showed him that, he could feel it. Accepting that what followed was out of his paws, he now put all his faith in a young dragon who was battling against all odds. "Spyro can do this, we only need to hold on for a little longer! Hunter, Volteer, Cyril, do everything you can to keep everyone together, it's going to be rough, but we will hold out to the very end. My title as a guardian on it, I will protect you as best I can". As Terrador finished his rousing speech to his dragonfly friends, fellow guardians and various creatures he was protecting, he pleaded inward. "Ancestors, please guide and protect him for us, one last time….".

Nearby, the final dragonfly of the group, a bulky and blue torch, held his wife and son close against his sides. After having remained silent through most of the inspiring and hopeful conversation between his family and allies, he spoke his thoughts aloud;

"Son, you have been given tremendous gifts in your life, and have always used them for helping others. Despite the great power bestowed on you, and responsibilities that were far beyond your years, you always remained true to yourself. You have always sought to make this world a better place for all. We are with you in spirit, and know you are doing everything you can. No matter what happens Spyro, I'm proud of you son"

Nina, Sparx, Terrador, Cyril and Volteer couldn't help but smile slightly at hearing these loving words from a father to his son. No one could have summarized who Spyro was better, and they each reflected on times spent with the young dragon. He had done remarkable things, tremendous even. Yet, he remained the gentle and kind soul that had played tag with his fragile dragonfly brother in the swamp all those years ago.

This had an adverse effect on the young dragonfly, and more than anything, made Sparx anxious. He had never been apart from his brother until now, and not being there with him brought him great worry. Sure, he had asked Cynder to look after Spyro, but it still ate at him not knowing what was going on. "Make sure you come back bro, we're a pair after all" he whispered to himself, as a single tear began to form in an eye.

All contemplative thought was then brought to an immediate halt, and the cave fell completely silent. A deep harmonious hum could be heard nearby and was growing closer by the second. As it reached near-deafening levels, a powerful force was felt as the whole cave system became dislodged from the planet. Magma began to spurt through the gaps in the floor, threatening to consume the denizens of the cave. The powerful force sent many of the inhabitants flying through the space, flailing aggressively as they tried to regain their bearings. Screams and cries once again were everywhere, no longer echoing as the cavern crumbled into loosely touching rocks that flew along with its inhabitants. Families tried desperately to hold onto each other, guardians tried to grasp onto smaller creatures as they slammed into rocks and each other, and some simply closed their eyes in acceptance of a violent end. As the turmoil reached its peak, oxygen began to leave the cavern as the earth it was attached to was forced further and further away from the surface. All hope had left. All hope, but for the slightest flicker still within a small yellow dragonfly.

It was then that a cooling force of wind was felt, followed by a powerful wave of violet energy. It passed through the cave in nearly the blink of an eye, and quickly coated everything and everyone in sight, turning the scene into a soft comforting purple hue. The inhabitants were frozen in place and ceased their rapid and violent tumbling from forces that had wracked their bodies only moments prior. The energy itself was calming, and each member of the cavern had their fear and disparity washed away as the energy almost seemed to commune with them. Rather than feeling like a tremendous force of destruction or power, it felt more spiritual. In fact, it had the essence of almost having a personality to it, a familiar one, but also….something else. Sparx called out, mystified at what was taking place, "Spyro? Is…Is this you?

While no voice called back to the dragonfly, his question was answered all the same. The magma that had seeped through the cracks in the floor retreated, and the tremendous heat within the space was relieved, guided by the purple force. Cracks and fissures within the ground were pulled back together, creating safe space to stand on. A subtle force could be felt that tugged at the cavern in the opposite direction it was pushed in, and everyone could feel a gliding sensation as it was directed back towards the planet. The energy coating the denizens of the cave gently tugged at them, individually moving them downward toward a safe footing. As the last mole touched with the floor, the energy withdrew itself from the creatures of the cavern.

All stood in silence and watched in awe as the structure of the cavern floated back together around them. Walls became whole again, and cracks that once licked at the rough cavern surfaces were sealed. Minutes went by in utter amazement as the mystical violet energy pulled and rearranged the subtle details of the cavern, restoring what was still possible to its original condition. This was finally ended with a jolting seismic movement that shook the hollow one last time. With it, the remaining spiritual force dispersed and began dissipating, floating harmlessly in the fresh cavern air like falling snowflakes.

No one spoke, what had just happened both mesmerized and confused the inhabitants. Were they safe now? What saved them? Was this all just the world beyond the veil, and everyone had perished? It seemed impossible that they had survived, and these questions hung heavy within the minds of the cavern's populace. Terrador closed his eyes and focused, channelling his earth element deep into the ground beneath him. He looked for an answer, and upon realising what had and still was happening, he found it.

"We're back on the ground! I can feel it! The planet, it's like its being pulled back together, I can't explain it, it's something I've never felt before!", he exclaimed. "What just happened, I don't understand", a cheetah voice called out from the crowd that was now grouping around Terrador and the other guardians. The confusion was widespread throughout the group, but did not quell the growing sense of elation they were experiencing.

"Convexity…." Sparx finally spoke loudly, grabbing the attention of his parents, the guardians, and the ecstatic crowd.

"That was his power, my brother's. I guess you could say it's what makes the big purple lump special amongst all of you dragons". Sparxs had been there to see his brother use this power first hand, it was an extremely potent, spiritual energy. It was something otherworldly in nature, feeling unlike any of the natural elements, and was undeniably the force he had just felt; though he realised he was amongst a small group of people to know this. Seeing even more confusion on the face of the crowd before him, but awe and reverence on the faces of the dragon guardians, he continued to elaborate.

"You all felt it as he grasped us and brought the cave back together, that was him alright? Which means…he saved us! my little big brother purple guy did it! He won, we're safe!"

A moment of hesitation hung in the cave before a roar of thunderous applause. Cheering, joy and catharsis erupted in a glorious explosion from all who gathered there, races brought together from the dragon realms and beyond. Families kissed and hugged in joyful tears at their lives being given back to them. Moles danced in joyous motions around one another, singing cultural songs of celebration. The guardians smiled at one another knowingly, each thinking inward and envisioning the purple hero they had trained well. Hunter and his Cheetah warriors gestured to each other in cultural hand motions before sharing moments of embracing and respectful handshakes. Already, hunter and his comrades began sharing excited stories of the legendary purple hero, giving him the highest place of honour, respect and legacy within their society.

Sparx hovered over the growing celebration with a massive grin covering his entire face. He couldn't be prouder of his brother and couldn't wait to see him again. Nearby, Nina and Flash embraced tightly, both proud of what the little dragon they had raised had done. However, as Nina began to pull away, she felt a hesitation in Flash, and saw a quick expression of sadness on his face. As they made eye contact, he quickly rearranged it into a keen smile, albeit one that she knew was feigned.

"What is it hun, what's the matter?" Nina spoke, concerned.

"Our little boy did it, he saved everyone, we all get to live in peace!", She continued.

Flash stared back at her lovingly, looking deep into her eyes before looking around the cavern that had sprung to life. The hollow, once full of dread and fear was now thriving in the ecstasy of life and its celebration. He caught his son keenly elbowing the dragon guardians across the room and could faintly hear "I told you-so's" flying out of his mouth as sarcastically as possible. The moment was seeping into him, and was attempting to lift his spirits, seeing everyone finally able to live as themselves again. However, a deep thought drew his attention away from truly experiencing relief.

"You're right, it's nothing" he replied, attempting to change the topic quickly.

"Come, let's go enjoy what our boy has done, this is a happy moment". His words were genuine, and he sported a subtle smile, but both bore a sense of sadness behind them. Nina, having known the proud blue dragonfly intimately, knew not to press him any further. The two flew smoothly over to their son, who was still talking the ears off the guardians, revelling in his confidence that his brother would come through in the end.

" Yes yes Sparx, you were correct, your brother fulfilled his destiny, and you never doubted him for a second. Though how, I can barely comprehend. To expel such great power, even for the purple dragon…..its unimaginable", Terrador replied to the lecturing dragonfly. Before Sparxs could retort, and milk any more satisfaction out of the moment, Terrador took notice of the arrival of the dragonfly's parents.

"Ah, Nina, Flash, we were just discussing your son"

"Yes! The less annoying one that is", Cyril added, firing a mocking grin over at Sparx

Sparx went to raise his voice in counter but was quickly interjected by his mother's reply. "I couldn't be prouder of my son than I am right now Master Terrador; both of my sons". She quickly gave a loving glance to Sparx, who physically shied away from the remark, trying to cover a blush that came across his face.

"To think my son could have done this, it's nearly hard to believe myself…. but what do you say to us leaving this place? I am eager to see what the world my son has saved looks like, and be reunited with him, it's been…. a long time….". Nina became both contemplative and excited at thinking about seeing her son again. It had been years since they had been together, how much had he grown? How was he different now? Beside her, Flash only seemed to delve deeper into thought, trying hard to mask the sadness that dwelled inside him.

"Yes, I think it's time Nina, I agree" Terrador replied. "Volteer, Cyril, gather everyone together and have them start heading for the exit, and when you come across hunter, tell him I need to have a word with him. With a simple nod, the two guardians dispersed from the group into the cave, and began gathering the various races, still deep into their enjoyment and relief of having survived the end of the world.

Everyone walked towards the cave entrance, with rapid and excited conversation taking place all over the crowd. What they had experienced would stick with them for the rest of their lives, and all reverence of the purple hero only seemed to grow by the moment. Terrador led the group, and as they neared the entry to the cave network, they strained to see past the opening. The light that permeated from outside inwards was nearly blinding, and all eyes struggled to adjust from having spent such a long time underground. However, as the threshold of the cave was passed, and the world brought into focus, all gasped at the scene that lay before them.

The warming light of dawn shined brightly over the far horizon, blanketing all the land in warm sheets of colour. Islands and chunks of the earth floated all around harmlessly, slowly moving back down towards the ground. The sky was filled with these majestic islands, and the purple energy that guided them made the world seem to be something out of a dream. In the far distance, close to the horizon, a dissipating purple light could be seen. It shot straight up into the sky in a luminous column, reaching the heavens. Following on from where visibility of the light ended, a miraculous spectacle was on display beyond the world. Innumerable stars were dotted throughout the canvas of space, with colourful nebulas only adding more detail to the scene. Most notable though, was a new constellation that had appeared. The celestial display was formed by deep hues of colour that strung together like a nebula, perfectly filling spaces between specific stars. The resulting image was that of a purple and gold dragon, spreading its wings out across the heavens triumphantly.

Silence reined as the scene was taken in by everyone. The world was beautiful, serene, and without darkness looming overhead, seemed full of potential. Sparx was the first to notice the fading purple line in the distance, and then the celestial dragon constellation that now lit up the heavens. "Look" he pointed, "it's my bro, the big lump is looking over all of us!" All eyes were drawn to the sky, and dragons, cheetahs, moles and other creatures alike were filled with hope at seeing the visage of their purple saviour. Sparxs wore a smile and looked towards his parents, filled with a sense of pride towards Spyro he knew they shared. However, while Nina wore a loving expression as she looked upon the sky, the same could not be said for Flash, and this startled Sparx greatly. Flash stared into the sky with a half grin, half frown expression, and tears freely fell from his eyes.

Seeing this, Sparx quickly flew over to his father, tapping him in the shoulder with a harmlessly soft punch.

"Hey pops, what's the matter?", Sparx casually asked. No response was warranted from his father however, and he continued to stare into the sky, silently weeping.

"Dad, he did it, Spyro did it. We're all safe now, and we get to be together again! I know you're happy, but he wouldn't want to see us crying". Sparxs tone was now full of concern, unable figure out why his usually stoic father was in such a state.

"Sparx….." Flash solemnly replied, his voice sounding like a great weight was place on top of him. "I wish I could say I was happy right now, and believe me, I'm truly amazed and joyed by what your brother has done. But that's just it, I'm not sure we will get to be together again".

"What…what do you mean Dad?" Sparx was truly confused by the words coming from his father.

"Son, tell me, do you remember the day you and Spyro left the swamp on your quest?

"….yeah, what about it?"

"I passed on a lesson to Spyro that day, a lesson I tried to teach both of you as you grew up. It was the last thing I said to him."

"I wasn't there to hear it pops, I had flown away remember? What was it, the usual eat your butterflies and stay away from frogweed spiel?

"No, nothing like that". Usually Flash would have chuckled at such a sarcastic remark, but the sadness he felt swallowed up any chance of laughter. "It was about the nature of the world, about achieving your goals, chasing dreams. No victory comes without sacrifice, Sparx, and more importantly, _all gifts come with a price_.

For once, Sparx was speechless, trying to process what his father had just told him. How was any of this enough to make his old man cry? What was he getting at?

"Tell me, son, what do you think your Brother had to pay to give us all this?", Flash spoke again.

Both Sparx and his mother were petrified with shock, realising what Flash was implying, and began to really take in the incredible feat that Spyro had accomplished. He, a single creature, had pulled back together a dying planet by sheer will of his commendable power. Even as the legendary purple dragon though, Sparx could now recall there being consequences to his brother using his powers; feeling drained and losing his elements after the battle with the Terror of the Skies, becoming a dark ominous reflection of himself at the well of souls, and countless times he needed to rest to regain his strength after a battle.

"Dad, you're not saying…." Sparx could now feel tears tugging at his eyes again.

"I'm not sure that he's coming back Sparx"

The realisation that he may not get to see his brother again washed over Sparx like a tsunami, and he became flooded with emotions that tugged his heart in every direction. Flash quickly pulled his family against him, and they wept, marking a single spot of sadness in the elated crowd of survivors. Nina, Flash and Sparx all reminisced on the young dragon, thinking back to the last time they were together in the mushroom swamp. It was nearly too much to bear, the thought that they would never be together again as a family, and for Sparx in particular, it was too much. A defiance, intertwined with his dauntless sense of hope for his brother, built within him. Ending the moment, he broke from the embrace of his mother and father.

"No", Sparx said, in a tone far more serious than the dragonfly had ever been known for. "Spyro and I have been through a lot, if there's anyone that could pull through, I know its him". Sparx could see Spyro keenly in his memories, all the times his little brother stood up to dangers far greater than he was, and odds that were immensely stacked against him. Sparx wanted to be brave, and hopeful, just like he would be. "You're wrong Dad, he's out there, and I won't just assume he's dead, he wouldn't give up on me!"

"I don't want to either son, it's the last thing I would want to be true. It's just we live in a world of consequences and….."

"I don't want to hear any more!" Sparx was now a tempest of emotion. Sadness, confusion and defiance came to the surface, all while he tried to supress them with his commitment to faith and hope in his purple sibling.

"Ignitus went with him, and Cynder promised me that she would look after him. They're the two strongest dragons I know alright? "He's coming back, I know it, and we'll all get to live in peace, okay!? And when he does, you'll see that I was right you old fart".

Flash was stunned at the outburst of emotion from his son. Sparx had never behaved like this before, only ever coming close, but it made sense, it always involved his little brother. Before Flash could reply to his son, Sparx darted away into the crowd, wanting to be alone in his current emotional state.

"Is everything alright? I've never seen him like that before". A booming voice came from behind Flash as he watched his son disappear into a mix of races. Flash turned to face Terrador, who unbeknownst to the dragonfly family, had come across the final moments of the conversation that just ended.

"He'll be fine, he can get like this at times, Master Terrador", Flash replied, the ghost of a smile on his face. "Sparx has never been the best at addressing serious matters, but he'll be okay. If there's anything that "old fart" remark says to me, it's that deep down, Sparx is still there".

"Indeed", Terrador chuckled. "But if I may ask, what serious matters are we talking about?"

"Well, its regarding my other son. Terrador, I'm sure you've come to know him as well as I have. He's a strong and caring soul, with a heart of gold".

"Yes, and not to mention brave". Terrador added.

"Exactly. Spyro is amazing, and I feel prouder than any father to call him my son. But he's fallible, just like the rest of us…and after seeing what he just did to the world, I'm worried that…..

"There will have been consequences for Spyro" Terrador finished.

"I'm worried for what It may have cost him….". Flash began to quieten, trying hard to stop emotions that were rushing back to him.

"I'm inclined to agree Flash. Such power…. even for the purple dragons", Terrador nearly trailed off on a tangent thought before continuing.

"But, I am not willing to give up on him, Nor Ignitus and Cynder. The world has been saved, and the purple dragon has fulfilled his destiny. That doesn't mean that's where his story ends, and Ignitus always spoke of the power of the purple dragon being far greater than what we could imagine".

"I hope you are correct, Master Terrador, for my family's sake….for Spyro". Flash replied, a glimmer of hope growing in his sad state.

"I hope so too. I will not give up until I have exhausted all options and I am certain".

"Thank you", Flash replied, finally showing a genuine smile.

As the dragonfly and the dragon exchanged smiles, the large green drake spotted an agile and determined Cheetah heading their way.

"Ah hunter, there you are" Terrador called out, receiving a nod of acknowledgement in return as the warrior drew closer.

"Terrador, old friend, I am glad to have lived to see this, it truly is a spectacle to behold"

"Yes, it really is, isn't it…" replied Terrador. Both found themselves momentarily drawn into the scene around them again, mesmerized by the pure new world forming around them.

"I was informed you were looking for me, how may I serve" hunter spoke in a very formal manner, following his words by kneeling in respect in front of the dragon before him.

Terrador simply chuckled at this, "come now Hunter, there is no need for such formalities, we are all equals here". This did not phase hunter however, and the stern warrior simply looked up readily at the dragon.

"There is something I need you to do for me though, old friend. Im sorry to do this, but I need you to set back out on a mission you've had before. I need you to find Spyro and Cynder, and Ignitus as well this time ironically."

Hearing this made the warrior's ears twitch slightly, and he voiced a slight chuckle.

"No doubt the final conflict with the dark master was tremendous. We don't know where they might have ended up, or what condition they're in, they may need help. Please, take your falcons, and search far and wide for them.

Quickly, the warrior of few words rose to his feet, and prepared to set off into the wild.

"Oh, and Hunter", Terrador added, stopping the cheetah before he could leave. "Be cautious. This is a new era we're living in, and the planet….it won't be the same anymore, who knows what may be waiting out there.

Again, with a simple nod of acknowledgement, Hunter left the group. The Cheetah quickly darted into the nearby crowd, eager to gather resources and allies for his new mission.

His absence would quickly be filled as the two remaining dragon guardians strolled over to the dragon and dragonfly congregation. Cyril was the first to speak.

"Well Terrador old chap, this is it, a new era. Young Spyro has done it, vanquishing old enemies, and bringing a day I honestly thought I'd never see!

"Ah yes, the world is now full of potential, promise, reward, peace, life and celebration, I errr", Volteer quickly added, the words flying out of his mouth nearly too fast to hear.

"You're right gentlemen, a new dawn has come" Terrador replied, letting a sigh of relief flow with it. Come though, while hunter is searching for Spyro, Cynder and Ignitus, we must move. If those three are on their way back as we speak, this is no place to be!"

As Terrador spoke the words, he gave a quick nod towards flash, helping stir more hope in the dragonfly.

"I agree" Cyril spoke, "I tire of standing near this cave, and while it's quite a nice view of the land from up here and whatnot, I'd rather not stand here forever".

With a keen smile, and taking an empowering, confident stance, Terrador declared;

"Gather everyone and have them get prepared to move. We head out as soon as possible, this new age will start in the best place it can. We're going home, we're going to Warfang".


End file.
